Fun With Food Storage

I always thought of food storage as drudgery. Something you only did when you had no money and were in the middle of a disaster. I've come to find out that you can have fun with your food storage.

One of the ways to have fun with it is to have a theme dinner or party. You could choose your favorite movie or TV show and have food that goes along with it. Now I won't recommend a specific show or movie, but for a TV show, like um...Lost, I might have Shepherd's Pie (Jack Shepherd), "Dharma" Green Beans and "Dharma" Peanut Butter bars. I'll share 2 recipes that you could use - even if you don't watch the show.

There is only 1 thing for which I use vegetable beef soup and that is Shepherd's Pie. I really don't stock up much of it because of that. And during this month I had not one can. So I did a search for it, found a recipe and then modified it for long term and short term food storage.

Shepherd's Pie

1/2 cup dried carrots
1 cup cold water

Add water to carrots. Drain off excess water after 20 minutes.

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2 T died onions
1/2 c + 2 T hot water

Add water to onions. Drain off excess water after 15 minutes.
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3 cups potato flakes
1 t salt
1/4 cup butter (optional)
1 cup milk (3 T dry milk powder + 1 cup water)
3 cups boiling water

Mix together dry ingredients (including milk powder). Add rest. Stir together with fork. Mix in butter, 1 T finely re-hydrated onions and 1/4 cup shredded cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste; set aside.
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1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1 lb lean ground beef
2 T flour
1 T ketchup
3/4 cup beef broth
Can of green beans, drained

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Brown together onions and hamburger till onions are clear and hamburger is browned. Pour off excess fat, then stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Add ketchup and beef broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add carrots and beans. Salt and pepper to taste.

Spread the ground beef and carrot mixture in an even layer on the bottom of a 2 quart casserole dish. Top with the mashed potato mixture and sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.


Peanut Butter Bars
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar (or 1 cup white sugar + 1 T molasses)
2 eggs (2 T egg powder + 4 T water)
1 c peanut butter
2/3 t soda
2/3 t salt
2 t vanilla
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups oats

Cream butter, sugar, brown sugar and eggs. (No need to blend together egg powder and water. Just add both to the mixing bowl). Add peanut butter, soda, salt, and vanilla. Blend in flour and oats. This will be thick. Press in a jelly roll pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

Adapted from Peanut Butter Fingers in the "Heartland Favorites" cookbook.

Fudge Topping for peanut butter bars
1 can sweetened condensed milk ( 1 cup dry powdered milk, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup hot water, 1 T butter, thoroughly mixed in blender)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
butter

Heat the milk, chocolate chips and butter over low heat in a sauce pan. Stir until blended and pour over crust.

Note: The recipe doesn't list butter other than on the note for the sweetened condensed milk. So one time I added 1 T butter and the other time I added none. I didn't see any difference so I will skip the extra butter from now on.

Another note: (I'm must be really LOST). Until writing this down I didn't notice that the fudge topping was supposed to be added before baking. My family liked it anyway, so do it however you would like.

From "I can't Believe It's Food Storage"


EDIT: After tasting the shepherd's pie I have to say I thought it was too sweet. So I've edited the recipe to take our 1/2 the carrots and add some beans.